Alumni Focus: Katherine Reaney – BA (Hons) Business and Enterprise Development

BA (Hons) Business and Enterprise Development graduate, Katherine, tells us all about her experience studying at Lincoln International Business School, and why she chose Lincoln.

Why did you choose your undergraduate course and why Lincoln in particular?

I chose this course as I believed it would be very well rounded. I clearly remember researching all the various business courses that were on offer at Lincoln, in addition to other universities, and this course really stood out. The course breakdown included elements of all areas of business and was very versatile in how it could be interchanged through the module options in both year 2 and year 3, but more than that, all of the different elements were clearly going to be brought together in practice and within the enterprise modules.

What did you enjoy most about your chosen course?

Academically, I really enjoyed the marketing modules and learning just how important and effective this is in business. The enterprise element of the course was incredible and I was so happy to be able to work towards and then set up my own business venture with the unwavering support and guidance from my friends, my lecturers and tutors along the way. Without their input, I would not be where I am today.
Socially, I loved meeting all of my fellow students, who I can now confidently call friends for life.

Describe the course in five words…

Challenging, thrilling, a good laugh, joyful, rewarding

What were the positive aspects of your course on you and your chosen career?

Completing this course has enabled me to gain a career where I am still learning and taking steps towards becoming a well-rounded manager, drawing on many elements of my degree and modules throughout my day to day work. It has also helped me tremendously in setting up my own small business venture. I am now very knowledgeable on business practice and the dos and don’ts of being a good leader.

Did you undertake a professional practice year?

No, I chose not to undertake a professional practice year as I was so excited to continue developing my own business throughout my degree.

Have you secured graduate employment? Tell us about your role, your employer and your responsibilities.

I am currently an Office Manager working in the education sector as part of my local authority. Enjoying my role fully, I feel that every day I continue to learn and develop my professional skills. I draw on elements of my degree and use this to aid forward thinking in not only my role but the development of the Office team as a whole. My responsibilities include overseeing the day to day workings of the office staff in addition to carrying out budget monitoring, purchasing of goods and services, HR and payroll duties for the organisation.

What advice would you give to someone else looking at your course?

If developing your own business or general management is something you are looking for as a future career, then this is the perfect course. Just go for it, enjoy it and make the most of it! During the course, you have access to the unwavering support of an amazing team of lecturers and mentors which aid the development of a broad range of knowledge and skills. However, if you wish to specialise in a specific area of business, this course is perhaps not the one for you – but Lincoln offer many other courses that could be more tailored to your requirements.

What tips would you give to others choosing an undergraduate degree?

Do your research. Make sure that the course you choose really interests you and is something you can see yourself doing in the long term. There will be moments when you feel like giving up and that you just cannot continue on this path, but if you persevere and set your mind to the course, there is nothing out of reach or unachievable. Even though sometimes I had my own doubts throughout my degree, as I am sure many others did too, I truly enjoyed every minute of my university experience and much of that was due to enjoying attending lectures and taking part in seminar activities along with my peers. Consider where you are planning to live, a number of my forever friends came from my first day in halls, and this really enhanced my university experience, coming home from a day of lectures to your best friends is the most amazing feeling.

Do you have any further comments about the course, your School or the University?

If I could go back in time 3 years, I would 100% make the same choice again. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the University of Lincoln and will forever have very fond memories of my time at both the university and the city of Lincoln.

Katherine Reaney

To find out more about undergraduate study at Lincoln International Business School at University of Lincoln, visit our courses page here.